First manned Boeing Starliner launch scrubbed over valve problem

Boeing’s first astronaut launch was scrubbed Monday due to a valve problem, further delaying the company’s historic takeoff. 

The company’s attempt to send its Starline capsule to the International Space Station (ISS) was halted by The United Launch Alliance (ULA) over “an observation on a liquid oxygen self-regulating solenoid relief valve on the Centaur upper stage.” 

The technical issue delayed Starline’s first crewed test flight featuring NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams. ULA said the team needs more time to complete the “assessment” and the next target launch date could come as early as Friday.

The original takeoff was scheduled for 10:30 p.m. Monday from Cape Canaveral, Fla. 

The completion of the Starline test flight would bring Boeing one step closer to having regular flights to and from the ISS. But the pause presents another hurdle for the company as it looks to compete with billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which has dominated private spaceflight for some time. 

Both companies, along with Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, were picked for commercial space flights back in 2014.

Since then, SpaceX has launched nine crewed missions, while Boeing has only completed two unmanned flights so far. For the development of the capsules, NASA gave Boeing more than $4 billion for development and SpaceX got $2.6 billion. 

Starliner will be placed on top of the Atlas V rocket, utilizing the rocket on a manned trip for the first time since the 1960s.

The issue puts the spotlight back on Boeing, which has been under heavy scrutiny this year for safety issues in its production of jets, after a mid-air blowout in January.